Time Lapse

1. ipseity

Every clap of lightening made her tremble like a leaf in the wind, and the thunder made her soul leap out of her body. Bryan felt uncomfortable around her, especially since he did not know how to interact with someone with such a delicate psyche. However, due to an agreement made by his brother and Josephine's parents, she was dropped off at Bryan's house every morning while her parents went to work. He had no choice but to get used to Josephine's eccentric presence.

On one particular afternoon, the hot, summer rain filled the air with thick humidity. Bryan's brother had left the house on an errand, leaving Bryan and Josephine alone in the house.

"Are you two going to be alright alone?" his brother asked before he left.

"Of course! We are twelve years old...I think we can handle ourselves," Bryan rolled his eyes at his brother and looked at Josephine for confirmation. She sat in the corner, staring off into the distance like a ghost was haunting her and showed no signs of acknowledging the statement Bryan had just made.

Bryan's brother sent one last skeptical glance at the two of them before picking up his keys and making his way out of the house. The slam of the front door brought chills up Bryan's spine. It was the first time he was alone with Josephine and admittedly, he was unsettled by her presence.

"Need anything before I head to the den and watch some TV?" Bryan stopped in front of the chair she was sitting at and waited for a response. She shook her head back and forth, momentarily meeting his gaze before turning away again. Bryan sighed at her unwillingness to communicate with him and made his way to his perch in front of the television.

He was approximately twenty minutes into the show when he heard the sound of slow, heavy breathing. At first he thought it was a part of the programming, but the breathing quickly sped up until it sounded like someone was panting and gasping for their lives. Before Bryan fully registered the fact it was coming from Josephine, he heard a piercing scream come from the room next door.

"Josephine!" Bryan screamed in response, his heart pounding in his chest as he ran to the next room. He wasn't sure what caused her scream, but he prepared himself for the worst. Bracing himself, he rounded the corner but stopped short at the sight in front of him.

The scene was nothing near what he expected. Nothing threatening was present in the room, but Josephine was curled up into a ball with her hands covering her ears like she was cowering away from an invisible attacker.

"Josephine?" Bryan cautiously walked towards her tiny figure. As he approached, he noticed she was trembling. By then, he realized that her panting turned into shallow, uneven breaths. Bryan was unsure of what to do, especially since he had never really had to interact with a crying girl.

However, her need for help greatly overwhelmed his nervousness and uncertainty. Slowly, he bent down and rested his hand on her back between her shoulder blades.

"Shh..." he moved his hands in unsure circles, hoping to reassure the girl. His nervousness eased up when he realized that Josephine was calming down under his touch. With the increased confidence he asked, "What happened?"